Interview with Rakim, Concert Video’s, and Concert Photo’s
William Michael Griffin, Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim, is an American rapper. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs of all time.
Eric B. & Rakim’s classic album Paid in Full was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV in 2006,[5] while Rakim himself was ranked #4 on MTV’s list of the Greatest MCs of All Time. Steve Huey of Allmusic stated that “Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs — perhaps the greatest — of all time within the hip-hop community.” The editors of About.com ranked him #1 on their list of the ‘Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)’. Rakim began his career as the emcee of the rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, who in 2011 were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2012, The Source ranked him #1 on their list of the ‘Top 50 Lyricists of All Time’
Rakim is the nephew of American R&B singer and actress Ruth Brown. He grew up in Wyandanch, New York, and became involved in the New York hip hop scene at 18. Eric B. brought him to Marley Marl‘s house to record “Eric B. Is President“.
Rakim, then known as Kid Wizard, was initially introduced to the Nation of Islam in 1986, and later joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Percent Nation), and took the name Rakim Allah.
First meeting in 1985, Eric B. & Rakim went on to release four studio albums before their separation in 1992. The duo were described by journalist Tom Terrell of NPR as “the most influential DJ/MC combo in contemporary pop music period,” while the editors of About.com ranked them as No. 4 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time. They were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, although they did not make the final selection.
After Rakim responded to Eric B.’s search for “New York’s top MC”, Rakim’s friend and roommate Marley Marl allowed him to use his home studio. The first track they recorded—”Eric B. Is President“—was released as a single on the independent Zakia Records in 1986. After Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons heard the single, the duo were signed to Island Records and began recording the album in Manhattan‘s Power Play Studios in early 1987.
On July 7, 1987, the duo released their debut album, Paid in Full, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B’way Records. The album peaked at number fifty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart and produced five singles: “Eric B. Is President“, “I Ain’t No Joke“, “I Know You Got Soul“, “Move the Crowd”, and “Paid in Full“.[16]
Follow the Leader was the second studio album by American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released July 25, 1988 on MCA-subsidiary label Uni Records. The follow-up to their debut album Paid in Full (1987), the album was recorded at Power Play Studios in New York City and produced, arranged, and composed by the duo, with additional contributions from Rakim’s brother Stevie Blass Griffin.
While its singles attained moderate success, the album performed better on music charts than Eric B. & Rakim’s debut album and reached number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums chart. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. Released during the hip hop’s “golden age”, Follow the Leader was well received by critics and has since been recognized by music writers as one of the most groundbreaking and influential hip hop albums of all time. American author William Jelani Cobb wrote of the album’s significance, “On the heels of Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim delivered a full clip of album titled Follow the Leader in 1988. Featuring a broader spectrum of sounds than the James Brown samples that had defined the initial release, Follow the Leader saw Rakim at his most lyrically fierce, issuing deft and def threats on such tracks as ‘Microphone Fiend,’ ‘Lyrics of Fury,’ and the nearly felonious ‘No Competition.’ The release marked the high point in the collaboration between the two and prefaced the long slide they faced in the 1990s.”
Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em is the third album by groundbreaking hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released in 1990. The group’s sound develops further, with Rakim adopting a deeper, more aggressive tone of voice, and more mature and serious subject matter. Musically, the production ranges from smoother soulful tracks such as “In the Ghetto” to the hard-edge assault of the title track “Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em.” Though it could not support singles as popular as the duo’s previous albums (“Paid in Full” and “Follow the Leader“) it is considered by many to be the duo’s most coherent album. The album is one of a few that have received a “five-mic” rating from The Source. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source ’s 100 Best Rap Albums. The back cover features a dedication to the memories of Rakim’s father William and producer Paul C., who had worked on many of the album’s tracks before his murder in July 1989. His protégé Large Professor completed his work. Neither receive credit in the album’s notes.
Don’t Sweat the Technique was Eric B. and Rakim’s fourth and final album, released in 1992. The title track was a minor radio hit. “Casualties of War” was also released as a single and contains some of Rakim’s most political lyrics. “Know the Ledge” first appeared in the film Juice under the title “Juice (Know the Ledge)”. However, Eric B. refused to sign the label’s release contract, fearful that Rakim would abandon him. This led to a long and messy court battle involving the two musicians and their former label MCA Records. The legal wrangling eventually led to the duo dissolving completely.
From 1995 through 1996, Rakim recorded several demos/songs by himself, then he eventually returned to recording in 1997 with The 18th Letter, which included collaborations with DJ Premier and Pete Rock; which was released in two versions, one of which included an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits disc titled The Book of Life. The critical reception of the album was positive, and it was certified gold.
In 1999, Rakim released The Master, which received very good reviews as well.
Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre‘s Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000, for work on an album tentatively titled Oh, My God. The album underwent numerous changes in artistic direction and personnel and was delayed several times. While working on the album, Rakim made guest appearances on numerous Aftermath projects, including the hit single “Addictive” by Truth Hurts, the Dr. Dre-produced “The Watcher Part 2” by Jay-Z, and Eminem‘s 8 Mile soundtrack.[citation needed]
However, Rakim left the label in 2003 and Oh, My God was indefinitely shelved. After Rakim eventually left Aftermath Entertainment, he stated that the reason he departed the label was because of creative differences with Dr. Dre. Rakim used a metaphorical example that Dr. Dre wanted Rakim to write about killing someone, while Rakim wanted to write about the resurrection of someone. Rakim signed with DreamWorks Records shortly afterward, but the label closed shortly after that.[citation needed]
Rakim retreated to his Connecticut estate to work leisurely on music. Not having released an album since 1999, he eschewed touring in favor of infrequent gigs. Rakim was able to retain the tracks he had made with Dr. Dre and, in 2006, announced that he would release a new studio album, The Seventh Seal. The album was delayed into 2009; instead, he followed up with a live album, The Archive: Live, Lost & Found, in 2008. In an interview with Billboard in 2007, when asked about story behind The Seventh Seal ’s title, Rakim said,
The number 7 has a lot of significance. The seventh letter of the [Supreme] alphabet is G—that stands for God. There are seven continents, seven seas. The Seventh Seal deals with that and also some revelations in the Bible. Some call it the end of the world, but for me it’s the end of the old and the beginning of the new. By me naming my album that, I’m using it metaphorically in hip hop. I’m hoping to kill the old state of hip hop and start with the new.
In another interview with Billboard in 2009, he stated,
The seals are from the Bible—Revelations and the coming of the Apocalypse. But Islam, Judaism, Christianity—all have a version of the same events. The Lion of Judah breaks the seven seals one by one, each imparting knowledge and inflicting catastrophe, ending with seven trumpets announcing the end of Times. After the Apocalypse, God rises from the ashes to recreate the Kingdom, taking only the greatest elements from the past with them. When you look at Hip-Hop, I want to do that: to spit fire and take our best from the ashes to build our kingdom; to recognize all the regional styles, conscious lyrics, the tracks, underground, mainstream, the way we treat each other. Lose the garbage and rebuild our scene. I’ve always tried to insert consciousness and spirituality in my records, interpreting the writings of all cultures and religions and how they apply to life in modern times.[26]
The Seventh Seal was released on November 17, 2009, after several delays on Rakim’s own Ra Records, TVM, and SMC Recordings and distributed through Fontana and Universal Music Group. Considered a comeback album after a ten-year gap between releases, the album features the two singles: “Holy Are You”, which was released on July 14, 2009, and “Walk These Streets” which was released on October 7, 2009. It features production from several renowned hip hop artists, including Nottz, J. Wells, Needlz, Jake One, and Nick Wiz The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan. Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics; it holds an aggregate score of 59/100 at Metacritic.
In 2011, Rakim performed Paid in Full in its entirety at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, in honor of the album’s 25th anniversary. He was backed by The Roots.
In 2012, Rakim announced that he and Eric B. will release a 25th anniversary edition of their 1987 album Paid in Full, which will contain new tracks recorded by Eric B. & Rakim, by the end of 2012; Rakim announced he would release a new solo album by the end of 2012. He performed at the annual Roots‘ Picnic in Philadelphia in June. In an interview with The Detroit Free Press he announced he was in the studio with Pharrell Williams working on a new album set to be released in 2013, saying the first single will be released before the end of the year.
On September 24, 2013, he released a collaborative single with DMX entitled “Don’t Call Me”.
In 2014, Rakim is featured on the collaborative single with American rock band Linkin Park, entitled “Guilty All the Same“. The song was released on March 6, 2014 under Warner Bros. Records, as the first single from their sixth studio album, titled The Hunting Party. He contributed his rap vocals during the bridge for the main version of the song; however, he is not featured on a radio edit of the song. The song was officially released on March 7, 2014, for digital download.
